Fire-cracker



C. E. MASTEN.

1(No Model.)

PIRE RAUKER.

y.'Wimenss es.

NTED STATES CORNELIUS E. MASTEN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRE-CRACKER.

l SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,833, dated July'7, 1885.

Application filed June 16, 18H4.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CORNELIUsE. MAs'rEN, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and vusefulImprovement in Fire-Crackers, of which the following is a descriptionsufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in theart or science to which said invention appertains to make and use thesame, reference beinghad to the accompanyi ng drawing, forming a part ofthis specification, in

` which- The figure is a vertical longitudinal section.

My invention relates more especially to large tire-crackers, or theclass known as cannon-crackers;77 and it consists in a novelconstruction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully setforth and claimed, by which a more desirable article of this characteris produced than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understoodby all con- Versant with such matters from the following explanation,its extreme simplicity rendering an elaborate description unnecessary.

In the drawing, A represents the body of the cracker; B, the match, andC the fuse.

The body is cylindrical in form, and is composed of layers of strongtough paper overlapping each other and cemented together in the usualmanner.

The match is composed of cotton, powder, and gum, the cotton beingsaturated with a solution of the gum and then rolled in powder or thepowder rubbed into it and dried.

The fuse is composed of a short cord or twist of ordinary touch-paper,into the inner end of which the outer end ofthe match is inserted andsecured, as seen at x.

rlhe breech-plug D of the cracker consists of lire-clay, and is insertedin the body around the fuse and match as follows: The fuse and matchhaving been first united, as shown and described, the fuse is insertedin a verticallyarranged hole in the center of an anvil or stake, whichfits closelyinto the lower end,

(No model.)

d, of the. body. This stake is provided with a rabbet or shoulder onwhich the end rot1 5o the body rests, the body standing vertically withthe match in its center' when the stake is inserted. Powdered fire-clay,or similar -material, of proper temperament, is then in- -the shell isinserted.

The shell H is composed of layers of paper overlapping each other andproperly cemented together, and is secured in the body A by means ofglue or cement.

In fire-crackers of this character the muzzle-plug or wad isusuallyrammed down onto the charge or filling with sudicient force tosecure the wad rmly in the body of the cracker, thereby, on account ofthe nature ofthe iilling, greatly reducing the force of the explosionand causing it to produce far less noise than when the plug is looselyinserted and cemented into the body, as described.`

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim isl. In a firecracker,the match B and fuse C,

in combination with the solid plug` D and body,A

Vitnesses:

C. A. SHAW, L. J. WHITE.

